This case involves a failure to diagnose periodontal disease over an extended period of time. The defendant is a retired dentist who had previously provided dental care to the plaintiff for over 2 decades in New Hampshire. The patient stopped treatment with the defendant when defendant retired, and was then seen by a new dentist that the defendant recommended. The new dentist was surprised by the poor condition of the patient’s teeth and indicated evidence of periodontal decay dating back nearly 15 years. As a result, the plaintiff had to have a number of invasive treatments, including a root canal and the removal of several teeth.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Are you able to review the case and evidence of the periodontal decay?
2. Do you have extensive experience treating patients who have periodontal decay?
3. Have you ever had a patient develop the outcome noted above?
Expert Witness Response E-000552
I have 44 years of experience as a general dentist and treat patients with periodontal disease every day. I have maintained my expertise in the field over the years with extensive periodontal training; the failure to maintain one's skillset may have been the cause of the defendant's errors. That said, it is always the dentist's responsibility to diagnose and recommend treatment when maladies become apparent. I lecture on general dentistry in an educational setting and periodontal issues do arise; that said, I do not expect to have taught anything that would justify the defendant's inaction.
About the author
Joseph O'Neill
Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.
